Sabre,
I am sorry to report that I cannot reply to this post because the reasons you list are the reasons I LIKE THE CT!!! and the very reasons I hate the MA. Sure, this particular setup is new and there are some bugs in the terrain, but being able to fly against the planes I'm supposed to fly against given the side/plane I choose to fly is a wonderful thing.
Not having icons on bandits until they are very close is a big plus in my book. You have to fly with a strategy in mind, not just "fly toward the nearest red icon".
The reduced radar is by far one of my biggest reasons for liking the CT. Actually having to look for the bandits makes getting a kill much sweeter

As for the planeset, well, I get two sides to choose from and am forced to fly planes I might otherwise avoid which only broadens my experience base and makes things more interesting.
I'm disappointed in the numbers I've been seeing lately in the CT, but to-date, I have not been disappointed with the quality of people in there. I have flown against and with some dang good people and each encounter has only made the CT experience better for me. You don't learn much just shooting down drones or masses of newbies, but when you wax or get waxed by a pro, you feel like you've done something big! (as well you should know from all the sabre holes in my butt

)
As for "constant excitement", if you're looking for that in the CT, you may be disappointed. As in the real war, many missions result in little or no contact with the enemy. But with a little patience and persistence, you will find a fight. Often, the fight will find you when you least exepect it. And when it does happen, you will probably wind up having to see a chiropractor to unwind your rectum! Long periods of boredom interspersed with minutes of sheer terror. Personally, I find this exciting enough

My only fear is that the CT will go away or morph into another MA. This would be truly disappointing.
Buhdman, out